On opening night, the USF Bulls and the Florida Gators will go head-to-head in a Sunshine State battle at 8:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network. This game will be played at a neutral site, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL.
After notching a surprising 24 wins a season ago, the Bulls were expected to enter Year 2 of the Amir Abdur-Rahim era with the chance to be one of the top teams in the American. But Abdur-Rahim tragically and shockingly passed away unexpectedly in October.
The Gators are ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll, but are just the ninth favorite to win the SEC regular season title.
Florida is favored by 10 points on the spread and is -440 on the moneyline. Also, the total is set at 152 points.
Here’s my USF vs. Florida predictions and my college basketball picks for Monday.
USF vs Florida Prediction
My pick: Florida -9.5
My USF vs Florida best bet is on the Gators spread, with the best odds currently available at Caesars. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
USF vs Florida Odds, Spread, Pick
| USF Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10.5 -110 | 154 -110o / -110u | +425 |
| Florida Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10.5 -110 | 154 -110o / -110u | -575 |
- USF vs Florida spread: Florida -10.5
- USF vs Florida over/under: 154 points
- USF vs Florida moneyline: Florida -575, USF +425
- USF vs Florida best bet: Florida -9.5
Spread
I'm taking the Gators to cover the 10 points on the spread.
Moneyline
I'm taking the spread, not the moneyline, on the Gators.
Over/Under
The best bet for this neutral-site game is on the spread.
My pick: Florida -9.5 (Play to -10)
USF vs Florida Betting Trends to Know
- 62% of the bets and 64% of the money is on USF to cover the spread.
- 70% of the bets and 70% of the money is on the over.
USF vs Florida Start Time, Channel, Streaming
| Location: | VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, FL |
| Date: | Monday, November 4 |
| Start Time: | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | SEC Network |
USF vs Florida is scheduled for a 8:30 p.m. ET start time, live from VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL, on Monday. The game is live on SEC Network.
USF vs Florida College Basketball Betting Preview
USF Basketball
Abdur-Rahim had a successful stint at Kennesaw State, building from one victory in his first campaign to the program’s only NCAA Tournament berth in his final season.
But when he accepted the USF head coaching position, very few people expected an immediate turnaround.
The Bulls went from 14 wins in the previous season to 25 and an AAC regular-season title (the first in the program’s history) in Abdur-Rahim’s first year. The team failed to make the NCAA Tournament, but that level of immediate success got fans excited for the future.
That promising future turned into tragedy and devastation as Abdur-Rahim passed away at just 43 years of age. Ben Fletcher is the interim head coach.
The top priority in Tampa likely isn’t basketball, and that’s heartbreaking for this program.
The Bulls’ success actually hurt them in a way, as their top three scorers (Chris Youngblood, Selton Miguel, and Kasean Pryor) all transferred out of the program.
USF doesn’t return a single player who averaged double figures last season and their top returnee is Kobe Knox, who averaged 8.4 points per game.
On the plus side, the program managed to add De’Ante Green (Florida State) and Jamille Reynolds (Cincinnati) to give the roster two bigs that played at the high-major level.
Regardless, it’s unknown what type of mindset the roster and coaching staff is in.
Florida Basketball
We know one thing about Todd Golden’s squad: The backcourt is going to be elite. Walter Clayton Jr., the team’s leading scorer last year, is back alongside running mate Will Richard. Those two combined for 29 points last year, and Clayton should be one of the better players in the SEC.
Golden also added Alijah Martin from FAU in the offseason, providing the Gators with another experienced player who was a member of the Owls’ 2023 Final Four run. Martin is small in stature, but he’s capable of getting to the rim with ease and should slide in nicely next to Clayton and Richard.
But the concern for the Gators lies in the frontcourt.
Tyrese Samuel and his 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game are gone, and 7-foot-1 Micah Handlogten will redshirt this season after breaking his leg in the SEC Tournament championship game.
There’s still a lot of depth and versatility in the Gators’ frontcourt, but there’s also a lot of unknowns, starting with two potential starters in Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu.
Both are hard-working, energetic players; however, Condon only played 20 minutes per game last season and Chinyelu is considered a raw prospect from Washington State.
The Gators also landed Sam Alexis from Chattanooga and brought back Thomas Haugh (14.7 minutes per game last season). They also added 7-foot-9 (not a typo) freshman Olivier Rioux, who will need time to adjust to the collegiate game as a three-star recruit.
If the Gators can capitalize on their energy and athleticism up front, then maybe they can challenge for an SEC title. But at this point, it’s evident why they’re not at the top of the odds board with the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, etc.
USF vs Florida Betting Analysis
This game is easy to handicap, in my opinion, because of how elite Florida’s backcourt is. Clayton and Richard are one of the best backcourt duos in the SEC, and USF has no one capable of stopping or containing them.
More importantly, USF is breaking in almost an entirely new team without their head coach. It’s going to take some time for Knox to step into a bigger role and for the transfers to gel.
Playing a team like Florida — that has continuity, experience and a much higher talent level at the guard positions — in the first game of the season is bad news.
Sure, the Bulls could take advantage of Florida in the frontcourt while it figures out how to replace Samuel and Handlogten, but as I mentioned above, the Gators still have options to work with and there won’t be a lack of effort or motor from Condon and Chinyelu.
Give me Florida at a neutral site.
